


Signal in the Sky

by DoomedTemperament



Series: I need a hero [2]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, F/M, Gen, Humor, Light Angst, M/M, Suspense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-15
Updated: 2017-04-23
Packaged: 2018-10-05 11:36:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10306400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoomedTemperament/pseuds/DoomedTemperament
Summary: Superheroes and supervillains alike are forced into hiding, only finding sanctuary in secret collaborative forces. What is life like during the ban? How will the forces collide in the quest for good and evil? Can justice be brought to the world? And just what exactly happened to the Generation of Miracles?A nonlinear series of events set in the universe of “Power, Super” (with some romance in-between.)CURRENT CHAPTER: What Do You Want From Me?NEXT CHAPTER: Intermission 1.1 - Calling a Favor





	1. Welcome to Seirin

**Author's Note:**

> So I decided that, because I just had too many ideas floating in my head for this AU, I might as well spit them out into something vaguely coherent. The timeline won’t be linear, but I’ll try to make things as easy to put together as I can.
> 
> Chapter Fact #1: Kagami has a degree in culinary arts, because between being a superhero alongside Himuro and his difficulty with standard tests, he figured it would be the best option.

“Seriously? Seirin is fronting as a _gym?”_

Kagami stared at Kuroko in disbelief.

After spending several days thinking about what he wanted to do for his future, Kagami had decided that he would accept Kuroko’s offer to join Seirin. It only made sense; While he had finished his university studies- if only for the sake of keeping up appearances- it was mainly Himuro who had been able to provide the rent for their shared apartment. But now that Himuro was out of the picture (a fact that Kagami didn’t want to dwell on any longer than he had to), Kagami was in need of a support system, a job, and an outlet. Kuroko had promised all three.

What he hadn’t promised was that Kagami would be surrounded by sweaty men and women over twice his age in a huge-ass building, listening to the same pop songs playing over the speakers and trying not to slip on the floors.

Kuroko raised an eyebrow as Kagami took in the atmosphere.

“I would have expected that Kagami-kun would have no problem being here. It pays well, has free facilities for inconspicuous gatherings and training, an indoor cafeteria…” Kuroko paused, and gave Kagami a knowing look, “...and a basketball court.”

Kagami glanced back at Kuroko, trying to decide whether it was worth it to thank him and/or give him a noogie.

Before he could make his choice, he was approached by a young woman. She was short, with brunette hair, dressed in workout gear- was that a whistle hanging around her neck?- and had an intimidating aura about her that contrasted with her stature. Thankfully, her stern glare was directed at Kuroko instead of him.

“Kuroko, you’re late again- have you been sleeping in?”

“No, Coach. I simply found someone that I believe would be a good hire.”

The woman hummed thoughtfully, and shifted her gaze to Kagami…

And stared.

And stared.

And stared some more.

Kagami fiddled with his thumbs restlessly, trying not to feel small under her intense staring. Eventually, the woman seemed to snap out of whatever daze she was in, shaking her head and smiling.

“You’re the rumored Kagami-kun, aren’t you? Kuroko-kun has been telling me all about you.”

Kagami blinked, and glanced at Kuroko, who was pointedly looking away as though he wanted to be invisible again. Now what was that all about?

“Allow me to introduce myself,” the woman continued, “My name is Aida Riko, but you can call me Coach. My father is the one who owns this gym, but I’m in charge of our… special divisions.”

“We should move to the private room,” Kuroko suggested, and Riko motioned for the two to follow her.

“Tsuchida, watch the front for us, please,” She called out to one of the employees as they passed one of the check-in desks.

The employee nodded, and Kagami briefly wondered how many of the people in the building had powers.

Soon enough, Kagami found himself being led to a set of double doors with the sound of shouting and running and conversation filtering through. A sign next to the doors had big bold lettering: _Alternative Training Room- Please schedule an appointment before use._

“Here we are,” Riko said, taking out a keycard and unlocking the door.

When Kagami stepped inside, he felt his jaw drop.

The room was much bigger than he expected, and bustling with activity. There were typical gym fixtures- rock walls, climbing ropes, even an obstacle course. But there were many more unusual areas as well; Something that appeared to be a giant wind tunnel, a series of crash test dummies, a small pool with a cage over it (and Kagami didn’t even want to know what it was filled with), a large set of steel panels lining the walls...

“What kind of room is this?!” Kagami questioned loudly, bringing the attention of several of the room’s occupants to himself.

“This is our test room,” Riko said with a smile. “We’re going to see just what you’re capable of here.”

Shortly after, Kagami was approached by three people- the first with short, black hair, glasses, and a stern frown on his face, the second with hair as brown and bushy as his eyebrows and sporting a smile, and the third with long black hair, grey eyes, and a sly grin.

“This is our new Superman, right?” The one with the grey eyes pointed to Kagami, “The one who can fly? The one who looks scary at first but has a heart of gold, a strong build, a dashing smile-”

“Yes, Kagami-kun is our flyer,” Kuroko said in a tone of voice that Kagami could swear held a note of embarrassment.

“He doesn’t look so scary,” The brown-haired one said, and clapped a large hand on Kagami’s shoulder. “We’re excited to see what you can do. You can call me Kiyoshi, though Teppei is fine too- the one with the glasses is Hyuuga Junpei, and our resident punmaster is Izuki Shun.”

Izuki winked, and Hyuuga gave Kagami a quizzical look.

“Are we going to do the test here?” Hyuuga asked, and Kagami blanched.

“Ah, I didn’t know there would be-”

“Relax, Kagami-kun,” Kuroko said, “This isn’t a written test.”

“The ceiling should be high enough for a proper test,” Riko answered Hyuuga, and turned to face Kagami with a determined expression. “This is where we’ll determine if you have what it takes to join Seirin. Since you have the ability to fly, we’ll be testing your height, agility, and reaction time.”

Kagami looked puzzled as Riko blew her whistle and cleared the others away from their activities. The fact that he was being watched so intently by the others- some with curiosity, some with amusement, some with confusion- had him feeling uneasy.

“All we need you to do,” Riko started, snapping Kagami out of his thoughts and pointing to the ceiling, “is fly up to the top of the ceiling and ring that bell.”

Kagami glanced up- the bell wasn’t so high up, and it seemed almost too simple. He looked back to see Riko and Kuroko watching him expectantly, and focused on the bell again. With a deep breath, he took a running start, leapt, and let his abilities do the rest.

It felt like jumping into a light breeze as he quickly arrived at the top, letting his feet dangle carelessly below him as he swiped at the bell with a triumphant smile.

_“Laser grid activated.”_

“Wait, what?”

Almost immediately, the steel panels on the wall shifted, revealing several projectors that quickly shot out a series of red beams, each one turning on and off at random intervals. Kagami whirled around to look at Riko, who was smiling smugly.

“You didn’t really think it would be that easy, did you?” She shouted up. “Let’s see what you can do, Superman! Now get back over here!”

Kagami frowned, and tried observing the laser grid. There was no discernable pattern for when or how long the lasers would be activated. He supposed it was meant to emulate a real-life situation with no time to analyze.

_Fuck it, might as well dive in._

Angling his body in a way that came almost naturally to him, he darted through the room, trying to avoid each beam- thankfully, he wasn't wearing any loose clothing that could have triggered one of them- and doing a decent job. Several times, he narrowly missed a beam, only saved by his reflexes, swooping and dodging through the air.

_Left, right, down, up, right, left…_

With his heart thumping and his mind racing with exhilaration, Kagami finally reached the floor, and made a mad dash towards the group. Closer, closer, until finally he skidded to a stop in front of Riko and the rest of the attendees.

The first thing he saw was Kuroko looking at him with a wide smile (or at least, as wide as his usual pokerface would allow,) and he let out a shaky breath, easing down from his nerves. Distantly, he realized that Riko had retrieved a remote while he was busy trying to avoid being shot with a deadly beam of pure heat. Riko pressed a single button on the remote, and tossed it to Kiyoshi.

_“Laser grid deactivated.”_

“Hyuuga, what was Kagami’s time?” Riko asked.

“One minute, thirty-six seconds,” Hyuuga responded, and Riko smiled brightly.

“Ah, congratulations. You almost broke the previous record,” She said, and Kagami felt light. 

But maybe that was just from the weight of the stress being lifted off his shoulders.

“Almost?” Kagami asked, tilting his head. “Who’s the current record holder?”

“That would be me,” Hyuuga said, smiling proudly. “One minute, fourteen seconds. Though air-walking is probably easier than just flight,” he added.

“Either way,” Riko began with an air of finality, “I’m pretty impressed with how you did. Of course you could still use training, but I’m sure you’ll make a fine hero in no time. Welcome to Seirin.”

Kagami grinned, and pumped a fist in the air.

“Now there’s just the issue of teaching you how to handle customer service, since you’ll be working here from now on.”

_“Aw, come on!”_


	2. The Case of Haizaki Shougo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One particular supervillain is slowly becoming a more prominent issue in Japan. Kaijo’s most celebrated newbie is called to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, is this actually some semblance of a plot?
> 
> Chapter Fact #2:  
> While Kise can copy body appearances and voices, he can’t copy clothing. This makes it harder to completely disguise himself as someone else.

Kise was rarely unsure of himself.

He may not have been as smart as Midorima, or as crafty as Akashi, and definitely not as strong as Aomine. But it wasn’t arrogance when he said his grip on his talent was stronger than most others his age, or perhaps even older- just a fact.

Still, the situation he found himself in was one that had him doubting himself more than ever- for more than one reason.

“Can you do it?” was the question that rang through the otherwise silent room.

\---

The situation started like this:

Kaijo was built on an old aeronautics base. This made it easy enough for Kise to pretend that he had found a more stable and long-lasting job than modeling. It also provided a large area for heroes of all talents to gather inconspicuously.

Back in its heydey, Kaijo had been a superhero coalition that wasn’t to be messed with.

Kise had been enlisted on the force for roughly two weeks, and was torn between enjoyment and frustration. On the one hand, there were plenty of perks- free food, free housing, free exercise space, and free access to all of the cool technology he wanted. On the other hand, there was hardly any time to enjoy any of it; He was practically swamped with old case files that he had to examine (which seemed suspiciously like homework) before he could officially go on any missions, and it wasn’t as though he had anyone to commiserate with. At least, not like he had before.

He was busy lamenting the fact that he still hadn’t eaten breakfast that morning when he heard a knock on his dorm door. Excited at the opportunity for a distraction, he rushed to the door and opened it, putting on a charming smile.

“Moriyama-senpai, what can I do for you?” He asked, greeting the other man.

Moriyama was one of the few people that Kise got along with; He had dark hair and was somewhat average-looking, but seemed to have a good-humored (if overly-flirtatious) personality.

“First off, I’m not actually your senpai,” Moriyama began. He then remembered his original purpose in visiting, then, and his expression grew serious. "Kasamatsu needs your help with something important and top secret,” the dark-haired male said.

“Um. Are you sure you should be telling me this in the hallway where anyone can hear you?” Kise asked.

Moriyama blinked, remembering where he was, and nodded.

“Follow me.”

Kise did as he was told, walking next to Moriyama as they silently made their way across the base. In the back of his mind, he wondered what Kasamatsu could possibly need him for. The older man, while not completely as mean-faced as Kise originally thought, was still very strict and often looked as though he thought Kise deserved a good kick in the rear. But Kise could at least respect the fact that, despite his appearances, Kasamatsu ran the operations like they were a well-oiled machine. It was no wonder Takeuchi favored him.

Kise was brought out of his thoughts when they approached the entryway to one of the smaller bunkers on the base. Moriyama entered a passcode into the security lock, leading Kise inside.

The bunker walls were covered with old filing cabinets, with several desks filled with tech equipment, and a large table at the center. The professionalism of it all impressed Kise, and he let out a low whistle.

Kasamatsu, who was already seated at the table, motioned for Kise to sit down. Moriyama took his place next to Kasamatsu, and Kise glanced between them before taking his own seat.

“I don’t suppose you’ve been paying too much attention to the news lately?” Kasamatsu asked, and Kise shook his head.

“I haven’t had much time,” he spoke, a bit petulantly.

Ignoring his tone of voice, Kasamatsu continued, “If you had been paying attention, you would have known that there are rumors of a supervillain causing trouble to spring up around the Shizuoka prefecture- mostly theft so far, though there are obviously signs of superhuman activity, and the risk of the situations escalating is high. As of right now, agents of one of the leagues in the area have tried to keep records of the related incidents under tight wraps, but we managed to wrangle some info out of them.”

Kise gave Kasamatsu a questioning look.

“What do you need me for, then?”

Kasamatsu watched Kise intently.

“We’re going to need you to show us what he looks like. So far, nobody has any idea of his identity beyond whispers of his name.”

Kise frowned. “If nobody has any idea of what he looks like, how am I supposed to help?”

Kasamatsu paused, and sighed.

“We believe you were one of the last people to communicate with him before he dropped off the radar. Are you familiar with the name Haizaki Shougo?”

Kise felt his heart drop into his stomach.

Glancing away, he spoke in an uncharacteristically quiet voice.

“Yeah, I used to know him.”

Kasamatsu seemed to take pity on Kise, looking at him with an almost-but-not-quite-gentle expression.

“I know that it’s been years since you last saw him, but you’re one of the only leads we’ve got. We need you to help us find him and take him down before he starts causing trouble for even more people.”

Kise curled his hands into fists, which didn’t go unnoticed.

“Can you do it?” Kasamatsu asked firmly.

It took several moments for Kise to nod.

“I can try.”

“Then go ahead,” Moriyama prompted.

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Kise tried to focus on all of his memories that he’d had of the other man, years in the past. Slowly but surely, his appearance began to shift.

His hair grew long and messy, slowly turning silver. His facial structure grew sharper, his expression grew darker, and when he opened his eyes, they were much narrower, with gray irises.

“This is what he looked like the last time I saw him,” Kise said, his voice adopting a different pitch. “He had piercings on each ear, as well. I don’t know if his appearance has changed, though. The most telling thing was his voice.”

Kasamatsu watched Kise carefully, and if Kise wasn’t in the situation he was in, he might have teased him, saying his intense stare wasn’t good for picking up girls.

“Is there anything else you remember about him that could help us identify him?” Moriyama asked, and Kise glanced at him.

“Only one thing that I can think of…” Kise paused, and made a finger-gun shape with one of his hands. “He liked to lick his thumb,” he said, and proceeded to do so. Upon seeing Kasamatsu and Moriyama’s twin confused glances, he added, “I’m not joking.”

Kasamatsu sighed, and nudged Moriyama.

“Write all that down, and make a quick sketch. We’re going to need to keep an eye out for this guy.”

Kise pursed his lips, waiting as Moriyama did as he was told.

“Can I go back to being myself now?”

“Go ahead,” Kasamatsu said.

Relieved, Kise allowed himself to revert to his actual self. When the transformation was complete, Kasamatsu approached him, hesitated, and patted him on the shoulder as he left for the door.

“Good work.”

Kise stared at him absentmindedly, only moving when Moriyama prompted him.

At least examining case files would be more pleasant than doing that again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kise’s powers are more useful than expected, right? Originally, this semi-plot wasn’t even going to happen- I just thought of it yesterday morning before I left for my studio class, and decided to roll with it. I only got to write it down at 5 a.m.
> 
> Up next is Midorima’s chapter! (Would you guys like it if I kept doing chapters in order of character appearance?)


	3. No Lucky Pencil Needed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Midorima before, during, and after his aptitude test- all the while with unwanted company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is meant to be a more lighthearted contrast to the last one. It’s also set before (and during, and after) Midorima’s events in Power, Super. Also, in case you missed it, I use the word “obviously” in place of nanodayo.
> 
> Chapter Fact #3:  
> Midorima didn’t actually think Shutoku would be a hero academy at first. He only found out when he arrived at the location after recruitment.

Midorima had been to Shutoku for a total of three days before someone had decided to attach himself to his side.

At first, Midorima had thought that maybe the other “student” was following him through the hallways to get a better look at his lucky item for the day- a remote-controlled car, which wasn’t nearly as obtrusive as some of his other items- but that hope was dashed as quickly as it came.

“Hey, you,” the other student spoke in a way that was way too informal, “Your name’s Midorima Shintarou, isn’t it?”

Midorima paused, and looked at the other person.

“Who are you, and why are you asking?”

The other male just laughed.

“Takao Kazunari. I’d say we’ve met before, but you probably wouldn’t remember me.”

“You’d be correct,” Midorima said, and strolled away- or rather, he would have, if the Takao hadn’t sped up to follow him.

“I guess the rumors were true. Shin-chan is as prickly as a cactus,” Takao said, causing Midorima to stop in his tracks.

“...Did you just call me-”

“Shin-chan? Yes, I did.” Takao grinned at him, and Midorima adjusted his glasses.

“I don’t understand why you’d call me such a ridiculous nickname when we hardly know each other, but I’m going to assume you’ll persist.”

“Damn right I will,” Takao said, then added, “And as I said, we’ve met before. Though it was a long time ago, I suppose.”

“It must have been if I don’t remember you, obviously,” Midorima said. “I’m certain you wouldn’t want to stay in my presence for much longer, though, if I’m- how did you phrase it- _as prickly as a cactus.”_

That time, as Midorima tried to get away, Takao let him.

Midorima gave him about three days tops before Takao got tired of his personality.

\---

It had been six days, and Takao showed no signs of stopping. Unfortunate, since the next day he would be in the same room as Midorima for the aptitude test.

_Note to self: Sit as far away as possible._

That day’s lucky item was a marble, so Midorima was able to keep it in his pocket for the day.

“Good to see you again, Shin-chan.”

Midorima closed his eyes when he heard the familiar sound of Takao’s voice. He had been sitting on the Academy’s rooftop after a day of going through computer information, and he had hoped that the other man wouldn’t be able to find him. With a growing frequency, he thought, his hopes were dashed. Takao sat next to him and looked up.

“The sky looks nice today. Perfect day for cloud watching. I think I see a turtle in that one,” Takao said with more amusement than Midorima would have liked.

How did Takao even find him, anyway?

“Why are you so intent on being around me?” Midorima asked instead.

“Because if I couldn’t be a hero when I knew you before, maybe I can be a hero if I know you now,” Takao said cryptically.

Midorima opted to hum instead, and tried to ignore the feeling that Takao really was trying to be his friend.

\---

With the hustle and bustle of the rest of the new recruits taking the aptitude test, Midorima didn’t have the time to concern himself with Takao’s growing friendliness. Naturally, Midorima was exactly on time to enter the exam room, noting that the last seat was significantly far away from the entrance. That would make it easier to concentrate, he supposed as he sat down, making sure not to disturb the silence with the sound of the toy piano in his bookbag.

Without even bothering to speak, the examiner passed out several sheets of paper to each person present for the session. Midorima looked over his own, quickly scanning the pages.

_1a. A hero is trapped in a room with three turrets. Each turret is motion-activated, and the exit to the room can only be opened when all three turrets are destroyed. The powers available are laser vision, force field manipulation, and bullet time. Write a detailed explanation of how each individual power can be used to escape the room._

Midorima resisted the urge to laugh; The test was almost comically similar to one he would have taken in high school. The question was easy enough, but just to be safe…

He placed his hand on the paper and closed his eyes, concentrating.

_Two days ago, the paper was fresh out of the printer. Three days ago, the answer key was being typed alongside the assignment. Question 1a has several answers applicable to each subsection, including…_

Midorima opened his eyes, and began to write.

Just as he thought.

Suddenly, without warning, he felt a chill run down his spine- feeling the distinct impression that someone was watching him. He glanced around the room, looking to see if anyone was staring at him.

Nobody was. In fact, nobody in the room appeared to have any interest in him, not even Takao, and almost certainly not the examiner.

Odd.

He continued to write, ignoring the chill. While it was an unpleasant feeling, he was determined to power through it- the room had simply gone cold, he tried to tell himself. If anyone had been using their powers, he would have been able to tell. Many questions later, after who-knows-how-long had passed, Midorima finally stood up to submit the paper to the (still rather uninterested) examiner, who simply looked up and pointed towards the door. After Midorima left the room and entered the hallways, a quick glance outside one of the windows let him know that the day was still young. He let out a quiet, relieved sigh, glad to know that the chills coursing through him had finally ceased and that he could finally relax- maybe the room really was just cold. Removing the toy piano from his bag with a quiet _“ping”,_ he began to walk down the hallway, only oblivious to the sound of the door opening behind him until he heard laughter approaching him.

Of course it was Takao.

“What is that thing?” The darker-haired male asked, and Midorima finally got the idea that Takao wouldn’t be removed from his side anytime soon.

\---

Sleep didn’t come easily to Midorima that night. Putting aside the fact that he was currently staying at a small but busy lodge until he received confirmation that he had passed his aptitude test (which he was certain he did), his mind tended to wander when he was left to his own devices.

Memories of the past- boisterous laughter, amaranth eyes, lazy movements- mixed together in a blur. Happiness, then anger, then isolation.

_Terrible._

The only thought that seemed to relax him was that maybe this time around, he wouldn’t be thoroughly screwed over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was tempted to go into a bit more detail about Midorima’s memories of the GoM, but I figured it would be better to wait a bit before opening that can of worms. Sorry ‘bout that ;)
> 
> Also, I should mention that today officially marks spring break, so I'll try to get some chapters written out before classes start back up so I'll be able to post more content.


	4. The Cubicles are Just for Appearances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aomine attempts to push past his limits at Touou Corporation’s Data Analysis Division.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I only noticed after finishing this chapter that it has a similar feel to the first one, Welcome to Seirin. Although this one is focused more on Aomine’s abilities than introducing other characters and settings, I promise not all chapters will be like this e-e;
> 
> Chapter Fact #4:  
> While Aomine’s gravity manipulation can pull any object towards (or away from) him, he cannot manipulate multiple gravity fields or hold objects motionless in the air like telekinetics can.

When Momoi first told Aomine that he would need a suit and tie to keep a position at Touou, he didn’t believe her.

Of course, he still bought one anyway, though he didn’t actually bother to put it on until the very first day of “work”, when Momoi had shown up at his apartment’s front door in an almost too-professional looking outfit and told him to _get ready, we’ll be late, you don’t want to get in trouble on the very first day do you?_

Touou was, much to Aomine’s surprise, almost exactly like a traditional office building, complete with cubicles and desks and everything. He stared at the interior, baffled- had Momoi tricked him into getting a job? He didn’t think he was in any need of dire money, and-

“Ah, you must be Aomine and Momoi,” said a voice that sounded uncomfortably friendly. Momoi nudged Aomine in the side, and gestured to the man that approached them.

He had long black hair, a set of glasses, and was dressed in a sharp-looking navy suit with a red and black striped tie. That was all secondary- the immediate thing that Aomine noticed was that the guy’s eyes were closed the entire time he was addressing them.

“You can call me Imayoshi, no need for formalities here. I’m the CEO of the data analysis division of Touou, and I’ll be showing you around the area shortly.” He turned to look at Momoi, and smiled. “I have to say, you’ve both impressed us with your resumés, and we’ll be more than grateful for your assistance, provided your information is up-to-date.”

Aomine frowned.

“Look, I think you might be mistaking me for someone else, I’m not-”

“Oh, I’m certain that there are no mistakes,” Imayoshi said to Aomine, and started to walk towards one of the doors leading to a downward staircase. “If you’ll please follow me, I’m sure you’ll get a taste of what you’ll be doing.”

Momoi seemed confident, so Aomine decided it was a better idea to save any confrontations for later. As the two followed Imayoshi down the staircase- much, much further down than would be normal for any office building- Aomine began to wonder what he was getting himself into. Soon enough, the staircase ended at a long corridor, dimly lit with overhead lights and leading seemingly nowhere.

“Are we going to get murdered?” Aomine asked bluntly.

“Of course not. You’ll soon be our most valuable employees,” Imayoshi said, and Aomine swore he was implying that murder wasn’t completely out of the question.

More walking revealed a single elevator with a fingerprint scanner and a number pad. As they entered, Imayoshi punched a code into the pad and scanned his thumb, and shortly after, the door closed. A loud whirring sound could be heard, followed by a heavy “thunk” and several clicks. After several seconds of silence, Imayoshi gave the all-clear, and opened the door.

Inside was, against all expectations… a small, boring room, empty aside from a set of weights.

Aomine furrowed his brows.

“Why are we-”

“Consider this to be a presentation, of sorts,” Imayoshi said, and pulled a clipboard from a small container on the wall. “As you saw, the elevator leads to a series of hidden vaults, each built specially to reflect the needs of the superpowers we have in our hands. A few of the adjacent rooms are being occupied, so you may hear some noises, but don’t let them distract you. Now then, let’s get to business.”

Momoi watched as Aomine looked at some of the weights. Ten kilograms, fifty kilograms, one hundred, two hundred-fifty, five hundred… one metric ton?!

“You don’t expect me to lift that much, do you?” Aomine asked in bewilderment, making Imayoshi laugh.

“Not with your body, no,” Imayoshi said, and opened his eyes. Aomine felt pinned by his gaze, and looked helplessly to Momoi, who also seemed somewhat uncomfortable.

“You have gravity manipulating abilities, don’t you? I’ll be analyzing how much you can move with your powers.”

Momoi, blessedly, chose that moment to defend Aomine.

“That’s not-- how do you expect him to lift that much right off the bat? He may have been a miracle, but he’s still human, and his body has limits-”

“Our job,” Imayoshi said, still fixing his eyes on Aomine, “is to make our employees exceed their limits. If Aomine can manage to even budge the five hundred kilogram weight, we’ll consider it an overwhelming success.”

Aomine seemed to regain his senses then, and let out a huff.

“I can do that, easy.”

It was not easy.

The weight of Imayoshi watching him so intently (along with the weight of… well, the weight,) put an immense strain on his figure as he reached out, as if grasping for something unseen. Every muscle, every synapse, every neuron in his body was struggling against the blockade between his mental power, his physical being, and the force he was trying to lift. It wasn’t like playing a sport where he could pace himself- it was all at once, and for a moment, he almost worried that he couldn’t do it.

That moment passed soon enough when he saw Momoi’s concerned look. The facts seemed to click into place when he saw it; Momoi had most likely gotten into Imayoshi’s good graces with promises that Aomine could be a valuable asset to them. Naturally, her mind-reading powers made her a master manipulator, though Aomine was significantly harder to gauge. He was being tested, and like many times in life, he knew Momoi would give him that same pained, disappointed look if he failed.

Well, that wouldn’t be happening again any time soon.

With one last pulse of superhuman energy, he tightened his grip and swiped his arm, bringing the weight swinging across the room and impacting the wall with a mighty crash.

He was sweating through his suit by the time he was done.

_Fuckin’ gross._

Imayoshi was looking at him with a menacing smirk as he finished writing down on the clipboard- whether that meant he was impressed or pissed off, Aomine couldn’t tell- and finally closed his eyes.

“It’s exactly as you said it would be,” Imayoshi turned to Momoi, reverting back to his disturbingly cheerful smile. “Well done.”

“Hey, I’m the one who did the work!” Aomine said indignantly.

“Yes, yes, we can see that clearly,” Imayoshi said dismissively and gestured to the wall, which had slightly caved from the force of the weight slamming into it. “Wakamatsu’s not going to be happy about that,” he muttered to himself, and started heading up the stairs.

As Aomine followed him, he decided that the prideful expression he had glimpsed on Momoi’s face as he moved the weight was worth the hassle.

Mostly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: The heaviest “dead lift” ever lifted (according to google) was 1,155 pounds, or just above 500kg. Considering all the factors involved (Aomine’s age, the extent of his superpowers, the fact that he doesn’t “practice”, etc.) I thought this might be an appropriate starting place. Of course, that means that Aomine can only get stronger from here…
> 
> I apologize for the lateness of this chapter, and for the lack of the next chapter’s title. I had planned on getting some writing done over spring break, but Real Life Things happened so I wasn’t really able to. Hopefully, I’ll get it done soon!


	5. Deal or No Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liu Wei is a silent observer. He witnesses the start of something new.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m trying to make everyone’s stories as interesting and well-thought-out as I can. This chapter is an attempt to write about Himuro and Murasakibara (since I haven’t really explored their personalities yet), though it’s not from either of their POVs since I’m still struggling a bit.
> 
> Chapter Fact #5:  
> Yosen, unlike the other coalitions that we’ve seen so far, is less of a support system for people with superpowers and more of a (literally) underground fight club. It operates under the guise of a medical studies lab that exists above the ground, and inspections/interviews/research analyses occasionally occur, forcing the members out in order to continue operating. Much of the information released is vague, or superficial.

Some of the words used to describe Liu Wei included “uninteresting”, “apathetic”, and “old-fashioned”. Liu wasn’t very inclined to disagree, though that was more for his preference to avoid confrontation when possible rather than any defensiveness.

Still, the benefit of being so ordinary was that he was good at observing without being bothered.

And what he observed was interesting, indeed.

It started when the underground was being cleared for an emergency lab inspection- all members of Yosen had to be accounted for and prepped for a false study, lest anyone discover that they were secretly harboring superhumans instead of researchers. Everyone was getting ready to filter through the hallways, acting as though they were actually working in an important medical study as opposed to members of a highly illegal fighting ring. Business as usual, he supposed.

He would later consider himself fortunate to witness the first meeting between the two that would take Yosen by storm.

As he put on his prepared lab coat and walked through the hallways to the farce of a chemical storage room, he noticed an incredibly tall male with purple hair passing through, sans coat. It wasn’t hard to deduce that that was the guy from _that group,_ the one who had been accepted into Yosen’s ranks with no questions asked, the one who was rumored to be able to make a human spontaneously fall apart (though he was almost sure that it really was just a rumor). And he was being chased by another.

The one chasing him was someone who Liu had talked to a few times; Himuro Tatsuya, if he remembered correctly, a man who had arrived two months ago and immediately captured the hearts of every woman in the organization, who acted as mysterious as he looked, and who always seemed to be in two places at once- in fact, at some times, he actually was.

“You forgot your coat. And the labs are in the other direction,” He said, and the giant in front of him turned around to look at him impassively.

“The arena is in this direction,” Murasakibara pointed down the hallway, and continued on his path. “I don’t want to pretend like I care about any research.”

Himuro, unfazed by Murasakibara’s dismissal, continued, “You’re a fresh face here. People will get suspicious if you don’t show up.”

“No, they won’t.”

“Yes they will. I don’t know about you, but I prefer avoiding trouble that could give away an entire unlawful organization.”

At that, Murasakibara stopped in his tracks, and turned around to look at Himuro accusingly. Liu watched with bated breath as Murasakibara narrowed his eyes, reached forward, and… lifted up Himuro’s fringe, looking him dead in the eyes.

“That expression… I don’t like it.”

 _Himuro is either the most courageous or the most idiotic person I've ever encountered_ , Liu thought, as Himuro gently gripped Murasakibara’s hand and moved it away from his hair.

“Let’s make a deal; if you can play nice with the rest of us, I’ll buy you whatever you want from the vending machine when we’re done.”

_Is Himuro really trying to bargain with that monster?_

Murasakibara seemed to think over it, searching through Himuro’s expression.

“Whatever I want?” He asked, and Himuro nodded. Slowly, a lazy smile crept onto his face. “Then I want everything. No take-backs.”

With that, Murasakibara walked away toward the labs, smirking like the cat that got the canary, leaving Himuro and Liu to watch him. Eventually, Liu decided to re-establish his presence.

“You have not made many deals with people like him, I assume?”

Himuro turned to Liu, and smiled slightly.

“Actually, I know exactly what I’m doing.”

 _His poker face is remarkable,_ Liu thought to himself as Himuro left, leaving him to follow.

In Yosen, there was a fine line between allies and competitors.

Perhaps Himuro was testing where that line was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear I didn’t plan on a “how they met” story, but I tried rewriting this chapter at least three times with completely different ideas, and I was always a bit curious how Himuro got a hold on Murasakibara, so I just sort of… made this up. I don’t think Himuro would be so conniving that he would start a friendship purely out of self-interest, and I tried to portray him without making it seem like that (not sure how successful I was at it though.)
> 
> Also, in regards to the reason why I took forever to update:  
> http://doomedtemperament.tumblr.com/post/159628048436/for-those-of-you-wondering
> 
> Next chapter is Rakuzan! And then, after that… heheheh.


	6. What Do You Want From Me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mayuzumi stands at the threshold of something new. Akashi reveals a secret. Somehow, plot twists are only fun when they’re in light novels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope I’m doing a good job at building suspense and developing some sort of storyline(s). Originally I was planning on leaving this chapter on a much bigger cliffhanger than I did (and only half as long as it is now), but I realized Yosen’s chapter was incredibly short in comparison to some of the others, so I’m hoping this makes up for that. Plus, y’all know how much I love my AkaMayus.
> 
> Chapter Fact #6:  
> The security system surrounding Rakuzan is so advanced that, after “the law” was put into effect, only those who have superpowers can enter or exit. However, Rakuzan is very strict with who is allowed to enter its ranking system, so not all who have superpowers are part of the coalition. Mayuzumi still doesn’t know why he was accepted.

Mayuzumi woke up to the sound of sirens blaring through the loudspeakers.

_"Intruder alert in B-wing, area seven. Threat level: Orange."_

Still somewhat dazed from being rudely awoken- at 2:42 in the morning, the clock on his nightstand said- he tried to remember what he was supposed to do in a situation like this. When he had been in Rakuzan’s third section, he had occasionally had drills on what to do if an intruder infiltrated the building he was in, but those were probably way different than what he was obligated to do now that he had been “promoted”. While he expected to be reprimanded for not being alert, he found that he didn’t really care to be dragged out because some idiot decided to sneak into a high-security building that, by law, shouldn’t even exist.

He waited several moments as the alarm blared.

Nothing.

Nobody knocking at his door (or forcing their way inside, as a certain redhead was inclined to do), nobody telling him to get up, nobody telling him what to do. Normally, he’d be grateful to be uninvolved. But now, he realized with a grimace, he was curious.

Quietly, Mayuzumi slipped on his shoes (it wasn’t worth it to change out of his striped pajamas, however) and grabbed his keycard before tiptoeing out of his room.

As he walked through the hallways, trying to remember which way led to the B-wing, he noticed how eerily quiet the area was. No sounds of scuffling, no shouts, nothing but the sound of the alarm, which shut off shortly after he managed to locate the right side of the building. It was something akin to a scene in a horror movie, in his opinion, which might have been why he felt compelled to explore the area despite the empty atmosphere.

“How cliche,” Mayuzumi muttered to himself as he stalked through the area, walking up and down the ramps and staircases. Just as he prepared to declare himself lost, he felt himself violently jolt.

Some sort of shockwave had flared through the floor, and immediately, Mayuzumi looked for the source. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to be too far away- as he walked, another shockwave filtered through, this time more intense. It was easy enough to follow the shockwaves to one particular door, and without even thinking about the consequences, he removed his keycard and held it against the door’s scanner.

_“Access denied.”_

_Of-fucking-course._

Mayuzumi wasn’t sure why he expected anything different. The room was probably private. But he turned to leave, he heard the familiar beeping sound of a door being unlocked.

“Chihiro. What are you doing here?”

It wasn’t a question, it was a demand for answers, and only one person was capable of showing Mayuzumi that kind of authority.

“I was just in the area,” Mayuzumi said casually, trying to ignore the ominous aura. Akashi considered Mayuzumi’s presence for a moment, sighed, and called back to the inside of the room.

“Kotarou, no more shockwaves. Tell Reo to alter his memory and let Eikichi take care of the rest.”

Mayuzumi could hear a muffled “Sure thing!” coming from the room, and he got the distinct impression that something sinister was going on beyond his knowledge.

“I can tell what you’re thinking, and I assure you it’s not nearly as bad as you expect,” Akashi said in a relaxed tone.

“So you’re a mind-reader now?” Mayuzumi scoffed, and Akashi stared at him blankly.

“No.”

The dryness of Akashi’s response was something that Mayuzumi almost appreciated.

“Well,” Akashi continued after mulling something over, “I suppose there’s no helping it. Aren’t you going to come inside?”

Mayuzumi hesitated at the threshold.

“That depends. What reason do I have?”

Akashi searched through Mayuzumi’s expression and, apparently pleased with whatever he found, said,

“I want you to see what being part of section one truly means.”

And with that, Akashi motioned for Mayuzumi to follow him inside.

As Mayuzumi entered the room, he realized it looked less like a dungeon than he had expected, and more like a high-tech interrogation room; Computing equipment, cameras, and video screens lined the walls, but other than those, the room was surprisingly simple, with two chairs and a long table between them.

Sitting on one of those chairs was a man- Mayuzumi assumed it was the intruder- who appeared to be unconscious, but otherwise unharmed. Surrounding him were three others; One with blonde hair and a snaggletooth, who was excitedly poking the poor sucker on the side; Another with a pale complexion and long, black, effeminate hair, who had placed his hands on the intruder’s head and was murmuring something unknown, and a third with dark skin and inhumanly large muscles, who was waiting impatiently. Mayuzumi recognized the three- they were Akashi’s posse, for lack of a better term. Mayuzumi could make an educated guess of who was who.

“He’s all set,” the one with long hair- Mibuchi Reo, Mayumi remembered- said in a gentle voice. “He thinks he wasn’t able to get through security, got frustrated, and tried to report back to the Osaka organization before getting hit by one of our defense mechanisms. Nebuya will send him out.”

“Why do I always get stuck with transporting people?” Nebuya grumbled, and picked up the unconscious one, slowly fading away as if he was teleporting. Now that Mayuzumi thought about it, he probably was.

“Hey, who’s this guy?” the blonde one, Hayama, asked, looking over at Mayuzumi and practically vibrating with excitement.

“This is Mayuzumi Chihiro,” Akashi said, and Mibuchi gasped lightly.

“So you’re the one who Sei-chan can’t stop talking about,” he said, and Mayuzumi frowned.

Well, the entire situation wasn't nearly what he thought it would be.

“As you can see,” Akashi continued, pointedly ignoring Mibuchi’s statement, “Our method of dealing with intruders is much more humane than others. Consider it to be…” Akashi paused pensively, “A sort of rest.”

Mayuzumi blinked.

“So… you mean to tell me you aren’t killing people in here?”

Akashi, the one person Mayuzumi hadn’t expected to have any sort of sense of humor, let out a snort.

“You say that as though it’s a bad thing. Although,” Akashi’s tone turned less humored, “I can assure you that it’s not off the list of possibilities.”

“I can make shockwaves with just a snap!” Hayama butted in proudly. Mayuzumi and Akashi leveled him with twin unimpressed stares, and he chuckled sheepishly before ducking back out of the conversation.

“So, is there some reason you’re being so secretive about this?” Mayuzumi asked, “After all, like you said, you’re being _‘humane’,_ aren’t you?”

Akashi frowned, and in that instant, Mayuzumi swore the air dropped ten degrees cooler.

“Intruders aren’t the only responsibility we have, Chihiro. You just happened to see the best of them.”

At that moment, Nebuya re-appeared, no intruder in tow. Upon seeing everyone’s serious expressions, he adopted the same.

Akashi, unfazed, kept speaking.

“Rakuzan isn’t just a safe haven for those with superhuman powers. We all have goals to achieve, some on a grander scale than others.” He then reached one of his hands into his jacket pocket, and pulled out something that looked suspiciously like a shogi piece. “The three you’ve met,” He then gestured to Hayama, Mibuchi, and Nebuya with the same hand, “Are the ones I trust most to help me achieve my goal.”

Mayuzumi pursed his lips. The night was already weird enough, an Akashi being vague didn’t help the situation at all.

“I don’t understand why you’re bothering to tell me this. Any of this. You didn’t even give me a proper reason why you moved me up to section one. You keep saying all this cryptic bullshit, and I’m tired of being left out of the loop.” Mayuzumi narrowed his eyes. “What do you want from me?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I want your companionship.”

“Cut the crap, Akashi.”

Akashi smiled then- Mayuzumi couldn’t tell if it was meant to be reassuring or intimidating (but knowing Akashi, it might have been both).

“Since you seem so curious… I want your assistance.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DUN DUN DUNNN!
> 
> “What is Akashi trying to do?” You might be asking. The answer is for me to know, and you to wonder. Though the knowing part comes a bit later.
> 
> Next chapter is a mystery, ahuhuhu!

**Author's Note:**

> I would like to thank graybles, berrybliss, anonamor, and szczepter for writing encouraging comments and making me feel inspired to write down more stories for this AU.
> 
> As always, you can chase me down and geek out to me about KnB at doomedtemperament.tumblr.com


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